A new skin infection seemingly never detected before in the United States has been detected in at least two patients in New York City, and more cases are under review, federal health officials say.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified a "drug-resistant" infection responsible for causing severe ringworm cases in two women. The ringworm, also called tinea, causes itchy, red rashes on large areas of the body.
NYC patients have experienced lesions on their neck, abdomen, buttocks and thighs, according to the CDC report released last week.
Their particular strain of ringworm was tested and came back as Trichophyton indotineae, a strain that scientists say has reached "epidemic proportions" in South Asia. Periodic cases have been detected in other parts of the world, including Europe and Canada, but the two NYC cases are believed to be the first detected in the U.S.